Handy Graphic Shows Video Game Console Cost Adjusted For Inflation Up To Current-Gen

Video games are an expensive hobby, and while it might not appear to
be true – considering current prices – in general, the cost of playing video
games has gone down over the years.

You'll see the chart below, which was posted on reddit last month by user Auir2blaze. It puts into perspective the cost of video game consoles from as far back as the Atari 2600 in 1977, to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One from 2013. According to Auir2blaze's estimates, the GameCube was truly the most inexpensive system beating the Wii by about $25.

Inflation is a tricky calculation, and this isn't the first time someone has tried to put current video game consoles in perspective. The numbers might be slightly different in this similar graphic, but the overall results are the same: despite the incredible graphical advancements compared to previous video game consoles, costs – overall – have come down.

Does anyone know why the PS2 was as expensive as the Xbox when it had the least powerful hardware? It did have overall the best games, sure, but the hardware was the least powerful. The Xbox was the best, and the Gamecube was more powerful than the PS2 but was $100 cheaper. Even without the best hardware, the Xbox had a HDD so it made sense to be more expensive.

It's funny to think that prices really haven't changed a whole lot when adjusted for inflation. Sure, people say stuff was cheaper back in the day, but in actuality, they were paying the same thing we pay today.

Wow. I didn't know the Jaguar was so cheap! I remember seeing it back in the 90's and dismissing it - lumping it alongside the 3DO and Phillips CD-i as "the ones that weren't Nintendo or Sega" and thinking they were hundreds of dollars more. I honestly didn't know Atari wanted to compete with the real guys back then. I'm kinda sad I didn't pay closer attention; sure the system blew, but it would've been a nice oddity to have as a collector.
Fascinating graph, even if I question some of these launch prices. Makes me wanna go into my closet and dust off some boxes (yes, I still have a few) and see what the sticker price says... :)

Lets see. I still have the N64 and the console itself seems to work fairly well even if some carts don't. PS2 is the same, I didn't treat disks near as well as I should have back then. Skipped Xbox and Gamecube (sort of regret that), and moved on to the 360 and Wii without the PS3. Keep debating on finally getting one for the KH Remixs and a few other games. Now I am at Wii U and PS4. My dad had an older console when I was young, cant remember it but I am fairly sure it was probably the SNES. Sort of interested to see a similar graph on handhelds. I don't remember having to buy my own handheld until the 3DS and PSP. My friend jumped onto the PSP Go train way back and taught me the lesson against impulse buying.

I have every single system listed but the Atari Jaguar. I am glad I didn't pay $1000 for my 3DO or $600 for my Saturn. It's also too bad that as a collector none of those prices are realistic regarding what people would pay for them today. Their actual value per $ is much much lower for most of them.

I still remember the trouble I went through as a kid getting the $199 SNES at Toys R US. Then after finally getting it a year later I took it back because that store gave you its own toy money if you could convince them you bought your item at that store. I bought a Genesis, then kept that for a year before repeating the process several more times essentially giving me both whenever I wanted them.
By the time they caught on I could finally get both, so it wasn't an issue. I was a clever little *** when it came to gaming.